Including wildfires in a landscape evolution model
Contributor(s)
Kevin Pierce at University of British Columbia.
Laurent Roberge at Tulane University.
Nishani Moragoda at University of Alabama.
Introduction
This lab is appropriate for advanced undergraduates and graduate students majoring in earth science/engineering.
We will use Landlab to generate a grid, use two different landscape evolution models (LEMs) to evolve a synthetic landscape, apply stochastic wildfires that increase erodibility, and plot various maps and graphs. Though no real-world data are used, the landscape relief is statistically realistic and roughly approximate to the Wasatch mountains in Utah.
Classroom organization
This lab can be run on the CSDMS JupyterHub. (Follow the instructions here to create an account if you don't already have one: https://csdms.colorado.edu/wiki/JupyterHub.) Run the Jupyter Notebook by clicking the "start" link under the Run online heading at the top of this page.
Learning objectives
Skills
Skills
- Use Landlab to generate a grid
- Use Fastscape and SPACE for landscape evolution
- Create plots
Key concepts
- Landscape evolution
- Stream Power equation
- Wildfires
- Sediment flux
Lab notes
You can run the Jupyter Notebook by clicking "start" under "Run online" at the top of this page. Alternatively, the lab can be downloaded using the "download" link at the top of the page.
Acknowledgements
This lab was created during CSDMS's ESPIn 2021 summer workshop. Thank you to everyone involved in organizing and teaching ESPIn.
References
- Braun, J., Willett, S. (2013). A very efficient O(n), implicit and parallel method to solve the stream power equation governing fluvial incision and landscape evolution. Geomorphology 180-181(C), 170-179. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.10.008
- Shobe, C. M., Tucker, G. E., and Barnhart, K. R.: The SPACE 1.0 model: a Landlab component for 2-D calculation of sediment transport, bedrock erosion, and landscape evolution, Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 4577–4604, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-4577-2017, 2017.